Coal-washing apparatus



Feb.v25,193o. I MHIBBARD. 1,748,569

COAL WASHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24. 1925 I a l -Hktw Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT 'or-Fics MERRILL HIBBARD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO JEFFREY MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OI-IIO -f cor'it-WASHING? APPARATUS vApplication led'November 24, Serialy No. 71,172.

'the coal is separated from the heavier imzo washing apparatus.

purities and carried upwardly by the action of upwardly flowing currents of water, hea-vier impurities meanwhile settling to the lower part of the apparatus.

The especial object of this invention is to provide improved devices for the admission and control of the washing water to the apparatus whereby is secured increased ef.- ciency and economy of operation.

The means whereby I atta-in this object are fully set forth in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing wherein is shown a sectional view taken along the vertical central plane of my improved coal As' shown in the drawing the numeral 1 indicates a'conical tank having'at its lower parta refuse chamber 2 from which the sediment may be discharged under' the control of a pair of discharge valves 3 and 4 arranged to be opened and closed by pressure fluid acting in the cylinders 5 and 6 in the manner which is well understood in the art. Positioned concentrically, thereof, within the cone 1, and preferably, as here shown, is avertically extending water supply pipe 7 adjustably supported by a screwv 8-and nuts9V which engage a cross beam 10 of the supporting structure. The upper endof'the pipe 7 is connected by any suitable coupling, which will permit adjustment, as for example'the flexible coupling 11 with a supplypipe 12 Awhich'may be connected with any suitable and 'convenient source of water supply. A valve 13 is usually provided for the controlof the admission of water to the apparatus. .Positioned in the lower vportion of the conical tank 1, and preferably concentric therewith, is a concave circular deiiector 14which is 'supported for vertical adjustment upon the screws 15 which are here shown as .mounted by being threaded through the .sides of the tank 1. Formed at the center of the deflector 14 is a conical projection 16v extending upwardly into the nozzle of the supply pipe 7, to

adjustably control the area of said nozzle.

Mounted concentric ywith the pipe 7 and supported in journal bearings 17 and 18 attached to the cross beams 19 and 2O of thel ysupporting structure, is a sleeve shaft 21 to the Lipper end of which is iixed a bevel .gear f l22 engaged by a bevel pinion 28 attached to a power shaft 24. The power shaft 24 may be supported in any suitable manner and connected with .any suitable and convenient Vsource ofvrotative power to cause the revolution of the sleeve 21. Fixed to the lower end of the sleeve 21 is aspider 25 having depending stirring fingers 26 and 27 adapted, when the sleeve shaft 21 revolves, to stir the contents of the tank; A cylindrical partition 28 concentrically attached to the spider is arranged tomaintain the unwashed mixture of coaland refuse delivered to theapparatus, from the ,washed coal in the upper part of the tank, as will hereinafter appear.v

During thewashing operation waterunder pressure is discharged downwardly from the nozzle impinging upon the -deflector v14 -by which it is spread laterally and by the deflector 14, turned'upwardly to flow along rthe sides 4of the tankto an outlet through -the overflow weir 29. The mixture of coal yand heavier refuse material is delivered through a suitable conductor 80 to the upper part of the tank inside of the cylindrical partition 28, and this material works downwardly through the action of the stirring ngers, until it passes beneath the lower edge of the partition 28 and encounters the outwardly and upwardly iiowing currents of water. By the proper adjustment ofthe nozzle 17 relative to the projection 16 there is produced a sharply localized circular jet of water of 'high velocity, which spreads laterally overthe concave surface of the reflector 14 and is turned upwardly along'the sidewalls of the conical tank 1, producing a relatively thin circularstream of water of-relatively high velocity adjacent the walls of the tank. n The water in the central part of the tank'remains quiescent except for the agitation producedby the stirring fingers 26, and the mixed material settling downwardly through this quite waterz 40 feo encounters the rapidly moving stream which picks up the lighter particles of coal and carries them to and upwardly along the side walls of the tank, allowing the heavier particles of refuse to fall through the circular aperture-Slbetween the deiiector 14 and the side wallsl of the tank into the refuse chamber 2. The clean coal carried upwardly by the ascending water is discharged through the overflow weir 29 to be dehydrated and otherwise disposed of in any preferred manner. By adjusting the deflector 14 so close to the side walls of the tank 1 that the Width of the annular aperture 81 is only sucient to allow the passage of the largest fragments of refuse material occurring in the mixture, the action of separation will be closely localized, thereby reducing the amount of water necessary to produce such separation to the smallest p'ossiblelimits. Y

It will be'seen that the circularjet issuing from-the `pipe 7, kand the volume and velocity of" which is yregulated by adjusting the deflec- -tor' 1a with its projection 16 relative to the mouth of pipe 7, forms an inverted conical sheet of water which spans the entire area of the tank 1 from center'to circumference. The material under treatment must, therefore, as it descends inthe tank 1, meet at some point this upwardly iiowing sheet and be subjected to its cleansing action.

Itis to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown and described" as the devices may be subject to wide vvariations as to detail without departure vfrom the spirit of my invention.

By the devices above described I have produced a coal washing apparatus of extreme simplicity, durability, `and efficiency by which is attained the highest economy in the Yuseof water.

dling and separating of other materials.

WhatI claim is 1. In' an apparatus of the class described,

ithe combination with a conical tank, of a cylindrical partition extending downwardly into `thetank, means to introduce mixed ma.-

terials of different specific gravities inside of saidv cylindrical partition, an overflow weir outside of said partition, a water supply pipe extending downwardly along the axis of the tank, a concave deflector plate positioned beneath said supply pipe adapted to direct the ow'of water-horizontally and upwardly to carry the lighter materials beneath said partitionv and over said weir, means to vertically 'adjust said deflector plate as and for the purpose set forth.

'2.1In: adevice of the class described, a

tom, a rotatable sleeve surrounding said pipe, a vertical open ended substantially cylindrical member in connection with said sleeve and rotatable therewith, a concave baffle plate below said pipe and adapted to deflect the supplied liquid upwardly in said tank to the outside of said cylindrical member, and means for supplying the material to be separated to the inside of said member.

'3. In a device of the class described, a separating tank, a vertical liquid supply pipe adapted to discharge adjacent the tank bottom, a rotatable sleeve surrounding said pipe, a vertical open ended substantially cylindrical member in connection with said sleeve Vand rotatable therewith, a concave baffle plate below said pipe and adapted to deflect the supplied liquid upwardly in said tank to the outside of said cylindrical member, means -for supplying the' material to be separated to the inside of said member, and means for vertically adjusting said bafi'ie platerelative to said pipe. Y

4l. In a device of the class described, a

separating tank, a verticalliquid supply pipe Vadapted to discharge adjacent the tank bottom, a rotatable sleeve surrounding said pipe,

a vertical open ended substantially cylindrical member in connection with said sleeve and'rotatable therewith, a concave baiiie plate -v kbelow said pipe and adapted to deflect the supplied liquid Vupwardly in said tank to the outside of said cylindrical member, means for supplying the material to be separated to the inside of said member, and means for tion of said tank dividing the interior of the latter into a central feeding Zone and a surrounding separating'zone, a Vwater supply pipe extending Vdownwardly through said central zone and terminating below saidpartition element, a plate below the end of saidVj pipe lfor deflecting the water upwardly into said separating zone, a conical projection at the center of said deflecting plate extending into the discharge opening of said pipe, and means to adjust said projection relative to said pipe as and for the purpose set forth.

6. VIn a coal washer, a tank, a rotating annular partition element in the upper portion of said tank dividing the interior of the latter into a central feeding zone and a surrounding separatingr Zone, a water supply pipe extending downwardly through said central zone and terminating below said partition element, a plate below the end of said pipe, a conical projection on said plate extending into the discharge opening of said pipe, said plate and projection serving to deflect the water from said 'pipe upwardly into said soparating zone, and means toadjustsaid plate and projection relative .tofsaid pipe.

ilo

7 In a coal washer, a tank, a rotating annular partition element inthe upper portion of said tank dividing the interior of the latter into a central feeding zone and a surrounding separating zone, a water supply pipe eX- tending downwardly through said central zone and terminating below said partition element, a concave deflector plate beneath the v discharge opening of said pipe for deflecting the water upwardly into said separating zone, and means to adjust said pipe vertically relal tive to said deflector plate.

8. In a coal washer, a tank, a rotating an- "nular partition element inthe upper portion of the tank dividing the interior of the latter into a central feeding zone and asurrounding separating zone, a water supply pipe eX- tending downwardly through said central zone and terminating below said partition element, a concave plate below the end of said pipe for deflecting the water upwardly into said separating zone, and means to adjust said plate and pipe vertically relative to the tan In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

` rMERRILL HIBBARD. 

